Theron’s POV I stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been moments ago, my pulse still thundering in my ears. The auditorium felt eerily silent now, as if the universe itself had paused to let her words sink their claws into my soul. I will destroy your family, Theron. And I’ll make sure you watch every second of it. A sharp exhale left me, my hands clenching into fists. She hated me. She hated all of us. And yet, the taste of her was still on my lips, the ghost of her warmth lingering on my skin. Damn it. I raked a hand through my hair, forcing myself to move, to breathe. But the weight in my chest refused to ease, pressing down with a force that made it hard to think. I had known she was angry. That she felt betrayed. But I hadn’t expected that level of hatred. That raw, burning need for vengeance. And the worst part? I understood it. Hell, if I were in her position, I’d want us dead too. I turned sharply on my heel, storming out of the auditorium, my m
Theron’s POV I found her behind the academy, in the secluded garden where the scent of damp earth and moonflowers filled the night air. She sat on a stone bench, her head bowed, her shoulders shaking as muffled sobs tore through her. The sight of her—Elowen, the girl who had just sworn to destroy me—completely broken—made something sharp twist inside my chest. I had never seen her like this. She was always fire, always defiance, always ready to fight the world with her sharp tongue and sharper claws. But now? She looked small. And it killed me. I swallowed hard, stepping closer. My boots crunched against the gravel path, but she didn’t move, didn’t even lift her head. “Elowen.” Her breath hitched, but she didn’t look up. “Go away, Theron.” I didn’t. I sat beside her instead, leaving just enough space between us that she wouldn’t feel cornered. Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. The only sound was the uneven rhythm of her breathing, the quiet sniffle
Theron’s POV The words blurred for a moment as I tried to process what I was seeing. Promised to the Nightbane bloodline. Not just as a mate— But as a queen. My pulse thundered as I flipped through the pages, searching for more. The records were old, some sections nearly faded beyond recognition, but the truth was undeniable. Elowen’s lineage wasn’t just powerful—it was sacred. A true She-Alpha. A ruler by birthright. A direct threat to my father’s reign. And he had tried to erase her. No wonder he destroyed her pack. No wonder he wanted her dead. If Elowen had grown up knowing who she truly was—if she had been raised to claim her throne—she could have united the remaining Whitefangs and taken control of everything. She could have challenged the Nightbanes. She could have won. My father had always been ruthless, always willing to eliminate anyone who stood in his way. But this— This wasn’t just a strategic move. This was fear. He had been afraid of
Theron’s POVI barely registered the halls as I moved, my feet carrying me on instinct. The academy was awake now—students murmuring in clusters, eyes turning toward me as I passed. But I didn’t stop.Elowen.She was in danger.I shoved open the main doors, stepping out into the crisp morning air. My mind raced.What did my father mean—ask my brothers?Ranon was ruthless, a soldier who followed orders without question. Alaric was the golden boy, the one who craved our father’s approval above all else.Would they hurt her?I forced the thought down. No. They wouldn’t kill her. Not yet.But they would break her.And if I knew my father, he wouldn’t leave any loose ends.I had to find her. Now.—It didn’t take long.The moment I stepped outside, I heard the commotion near the training grounds.A crowd had gathered. Students circled in a wide ring, their voices hushed but eager. I pushed through, my heart hammering.And then I saw her.Elowen stood in the center, her face pale, her lip s
Elowen’s POVI could still feel his lips on mine.I hated it.I hated him.And yet—my traitorous body still burned from his touch.I stormed through the empty corridor, my breath uneven, my mind racing.What the hell just happened?One moment, I was throwing my rage in his face, reminding him of all the reasons I despised him, his brothers, his father.And the next—I was kissing him back.Not just letting it happen. Wanting it.The worst part? I had felt safe in his arms. Just for a second.I let out a sharp breath, shoving open the door to the nearest empty classroom. I needed to think. To breathe.But the moment I was alone, the weight of everything crashed down on me.I pressed my fingers to my lips, as if I could erase the feeling of him. But it was useless.Theron wasn’t like his brothers. That much was obvious.Alaric was cold, calculating. He had humiliated me, ignored me, made it clear I was nothing in his eyes. Ranon had taken pleasure in my suffering, treating me like dirt
Elowen’s POVI walked away from Ranon, feeling his glare burn into my back. But I didn’t stop. Didn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten under my skin.I had more important things to worry about.Like the storm raging inside me.Theron.That kiss.The way my body had betrayed me, melting into his touch when I should have shoved him away immediately.I gritted my teeth, pushing through the academy doors and making my way toward the dorms. I needed to be alone. I needed space to think, to breathe.But, of course, fate had other plans.Because the moment I stepped inside, I came face-to-face with the last person I wanted to see.Theron.He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, as if he’d been waiting for me. His dark eyes locked onto mine the second I entered, and something in his gaze sent my pulse skittering.I forced myself to keep my expression blank. “Are you following me now?”He pushed off the wall, taking a slow step toward me. “You walked away
Elowen’s POV I didn’t stop him. I should have. I should have shoved him away, reminded him of who he was—who I was. But I didn’t. Instead, I let him kiss me. His lips were warm, coaxing, drawing me in like a tide I couldn't fight. His hands slid up my arms, one settling at my waist, the other tangling in my hair, pulling me closer—closer than I should have let him. A shiver ran down my spine, but it wasn’t from fear. It was from the way he kissed me, slow yet consuming, as if he was memorizing the shape of my lips, the taste of my skin. And I let him. I let him. I melted into him before I could think, before I could remind myself why this was wrong, why I should pull away. Because right now, none of that mattered. Right now, there was only the way his fingers gripped my waist, the way his breath mixed with mine, the way his heartbeat pounded against my chest like a silent confession. I want you. I could feel it in every touch, every desperate press of his l
Elowen's POV The kiss deepened, igniting a fire that coursed through my veins. Theron’s hands roamed my back, pulling me against him, and I could feel the strength in his muscles as he held me close. The world beyond us was a distant echo, fading into nothingness as we lost ourselves in each other.“Is this really happening?” I murmured against his lips, the words barely escaping as I surrendered to the moment.“Yes,” he breathed, his voice thick with urgency. “And it’s everything I’ve wanted.” I shivered at the intensity in his gaze, the way it bore into me like he was seeing straight through to my soul. “But what if we get caught?” My heart raced, torn between exhilaration and fear. “Let them catch us,” he said, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “Let them see that we’re not afraid anymore.” His confidence was intoxicating, and I felt myself leaning into it, a part of me craving the defiance. “You’re reckless,” I replied, my voice playful despite the weight of my uncertainty.
Elowen’s POV The night with Ranon was a whirlwind of raw sensation and possessive tenderness. His touch was demanding, his kisses branding, each caress a silent claim. Yet, beneath the fierce exterior, there was a surprising gentleness, a deep-seated need to connect on a level that transcended mere physicality. We lost ourselves in each other, the cool stone of the gazebo a stark contrast to the burning heat of our bodies entwined under the watchful gaze of the moon. When dawn finally broke, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and gold, I awoke nestled in his arms, the lingering scent of our passion clinging to the air. He was still asleep, his dark hair tousled, his strong arms wrapped protectively around me. A sense of deep contentment settled within me, a quiet understanding of the intricate tapestry of my relationships with the triplets. Each connection was unique, each filled a different part of me, and last night had been a powerful reminder of the intense, undeniable bond
Elowen’s POV The rest of the day at the Academy passed in a blur of lectures and drills, each moment punctuated by the subtle awareness of the triplets’ watchful gazes. Ranon’s hand never strayed far, a possessive warmth against my skin. Alaric’s silver eyes followed me with a quiet intensity, a silent promise of unwavering support. Theron’s sharp observations and sardonic remarks were always directed my way, a constant, teasing reminder of our intertwined lives. The undercurrent of the morning’s events lingered, a subtle shift in the way the other students interacted with me. There was a newfound respect, tinged with a healthy dose of fear, in their eyes. Caelum’s defeat at my hands had clearly sent a ripple through the Academy’s hierarchy. As dusk began to paint the sky in hues of fiery orange and soft violet, we found ourselves in the training gardens, a secluded sanctuary tucked away behind the main buildings. The air was fragrant with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and da
Elowen’s POV The air in the Academy’s combat hall, a vast chamber usually echoing with the clang of steel and the grunts of exertion, crackled with a palpable, almost electric tension even before Professor Lyra’s crisp voice sliced through the anticipatory silence. I sat wedged between Alaric and Theron on the long, polished wooden bench that lined the edge of the expansive sparring floor. Ranon, ever the sentinel, hadn’t allowed me more than a few feet of breathing room since the charged intimacy of the rooftop. His calloused fingers, possessive and reassuring, grazed the back of my hand every few heartbeats, a silent, tactile reminder to both himself and anyone watching that I was still within his orbit—still his. But the moment Caelum stepped onto the gleaming sparring floor, a ripple of altered energy spread through the room, a subtle shift in the students’ collective focus. He moved with a predatory grace, his tall, muscular frame encased in black training leathers that seemed
Elowen's POV Second Round – Alaric. Alaric was already waiting in the center of the mat, rolling his broad shoulders, his dark hair pulled back in a tight knot, his jaw set with a focused determination. His silver eyes were locked on mine – not intense with possessiveness like Ranon’s, not teasingly sharp like Theron’s. Just… intensely focused, a silent promise of a challenging but fair fight. “You okay, sunshine?” he asked softly, his voice a low rumble that only I could hear, even as we began to circle each other, the tension between us a palpable thing. “I’m always okay, Alaric.” The automatic response felt hollow, even to my own ears. “You don’t have to be, you know.” His gaze softened for a fleeting moment, a hint of the gentle soul beneath the stoic exterior. Before I could formulate a response, he struck, his movements fast and powerful, each blow precise and calculated. Alaric fought like a controlled storm – a whirlwind of disciplined chaos. And he always, always pushe
Elowen’s POVThe morning sun, a brazen intruder, spilled through the expansive glass windows of the Academy’s combat arena, painting the polished stone floors in streaks of gold and illuminating the raw tension that already thrummed beneath the surface of the bustling room. The air crackled with a palpable anticipation, a familiar energy that always accompanied combat drills, especially those involving the top-tier Alphas – the triplets.But this morning felt different. The usual undercurrent of excitement was thick with a new layer of scrutiny, a palpable curiosity that had intensified ever since the stolen kisses – Ranon’s desperate claim on the rooftop, Alaric’s gentle solace in the rain-soaked gardens, Theron’s fiery promise in the quiet of his room. Every stolen glance, every shared secret, had seemingly been magnified under the Academy’s ever-watchful eyes.Whispers, sharp and insidious, clung to the edges of the walls like grasping shadows, their hushed tones carrying the weigh
Elowen’s POVThe morning light, sharp and unforgiving, sliced through the tall arched windows of the Academy halls, illuminating the usual early-hour bustle of students shuffling to classes, their hushed whispers and the rhythmic thud of training boots echoing off the ancient stone walls. But this morning, the familiar weight of the Academy’s ever-present scrutiny felt different, amplified by the lingering sensations of the night before.I walked into the classroom, the ghost of Ranon’s calloused hands still imprinted on my skin, the phantom warmth of his possessive grip a constant reminder. The echo of his desperate, hungry kiss still lingered on my lips, a secret fire that threatened to betray the tremor in my hands. It was a different kind of awareness that accompanied me now, a knowledge shared in the darkness, a boundary crossed under the silent watch of the stars.He sat near the back of the spacious classroom, his chair tilted back at that characteristic, precarious angle that
Elowen’s POV “Ranon,” I breathed, my voice a ragged whisper, a plea that echoed the desperate yearning in the depths of my soul. The question in his burning golden eyes needed no verbal answer; the overwhelming need within me was a language all its own. In a single, fluid movement that spoke of his inherent strength and a sudden, fierce urgency, he swept me off the cold stone wall, his powerful arms cradling my weight as if I were no more than a feather. My legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, a silent, primal claiming, a desperate embrace that mirrored the magnetic pull between us. He carried me with a focused intensity to the center of the rooftop, where a small, timeworn stone bench sat nestled against the crumbling outer wall, a silent witness to countless nights under the watchful gaze of the stars. He lowered me carefully onto the smooth, flat surface, the ancient stone instantly cold against my heated skin, a stark contrast to the inferno raging within me. He stepped
Elowen’s POVThe ascent to the Academy rooftop felt like a breathless climb into a secret world, the narrow stone stairs winding upwards, each step echoing the frantic beat of my heart. The cool night air, carrying the distant hum of the sprawling city below, whipped around us, a stark contrast to the sudden heat that flared between Ranon and me. The lingering echoes of our desperate kiss in the training court clung to us like a shared secret, a tangible vibration in the charged silence.Ranon reached the rooftop first, his dark silhouette a stark, alluring figure against the inky canvas of the night sky, punctuated by the scattered diamonds of city lights. He leaned against the low, weathered stone wall, his posture exuding a contained energy, a coiled tension that mirrored my own. His golden gaze, intense and possessive, followed my every movement as I approached, a silent claiming that made my skin prickle with a heady mix of anticipation and a nervous, thrilling excitement.“Why h
Elowen’s POV The southern training court of the Academy held a hushed stillness, a stark contrast to the boisterous energy that usually permeated its grounds. The majority of the students had retreated for the evening, the clatter of dinner dishes and the murmur of tired conversations echoing from the mess hall. But I had sought out this quiet solitude, requesting a private training session with Ranon, a need that resonated deep within me, a yearning that went beyond the honing of my skills. The indigo of twilight bled across the vast expanse of the sky, the first hesitant stars beginning to prick the darkening canvas. A cool breeze whispered through the surrounding pines, carrying the faint, metallic tang of steel and the earthy fragrance of the evergreens – a scent that always felt intrinsically linked to the Academy, to the life we led, to Ranon himself. I adjusted the tight straps of my worn leather gloves, the familiar feel grounding me slightly as I waited, my heart a frantic